Winner: Compensation and Benefits

Dandridge Floyd

Rachelle Damico

For years, medical insurance premiums at Oakland Schools climbed. The tax-supported public school district, which is headquartered in Waterford Township, experienced a 9 percent average increase in its medical insurance plan each year from 2016 to 2018.

Those increases also affected the district’s 650 employees, who were required to participate in a cost-sharing model.

Dandridge Floyd, assistant superintendent of human resources and labor relations, recognized the district needed to make a change in the way the organization thought about health care.

“High increases with our medical renewals gave us a pretty good idea that our staff wasn’t well,” Floyd said. “We saw that this was an opportunity to create a program that individuals could be encouraged to be involved in and that changes their lifestyle.”

Knowing sedentary work spaces can contribute to chronic back issues, Floyd and her team took action. Floyd spearheaded the district’s Fit Friendly program, a wellness and fitness initiative for employees that began in 2017. The program provides employees with standing desks and access to exercise equipment that includes stability balls and chairs, workstation elliptical trainers, exercise bikes and treadmills.
Floyd said the initiative not only promoted physical activity but increased collaboration among employees.

“Now you see employees having meetings on our walking treadmills when they may have sent emails in the past,” Floyd said. “We have this culture and wellness that merged organically and has increased productivity in our employees.”

Floyd also spearheaded the district’s wellbeing committee, which provides emotional health events and activities to employees. For instance, the committee partners with the Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center each summer to allow employees to walk shelter dogs in need of human interaction. The district also hires a mobile meditation truck biweekly during the spring and summer months to provide employees with onsite meditation therapy.

As a result of all these efforts, Floyd said Oakland Schools plan renewal rates have been at negative five percent from 2018 to 2019.

“Due to the positive rate renewals for this plan, Oakland Schools is able to offer high quality, comprehensive health care premiums to employees at no cost,” Floyd said. “This is unprecedented in today’s health care landscape. In the war for talent, it is a game changing recruitment incentive.”

Get Free Newsletters

Make sure you don't miss a thing by subscribing to our newsletters.

Email Address

Join Today

With a Crain’s Detroit Membership you get exclusive access, insights and experiences to help you succeed in business.